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Guest Commentary: Jobs will secure our future

By Pat Hamill

Posted:
12/02/2012 12:01:00 AM MST

Updated:
12/02/2012 01:12:47 AM MST

While we're all glad that a contentious election is in the rearview mirror, the road ahead for Colorado presents numerous challenges — most notably in preserving and creating quality jobs and improving our education system. With an approach rooted in cooperation, collaboration and consensus, we can move Colorado forward and avert the poisonous political and ideological breakdown that derailed last year's legislative session.

Colorado Concern, made up of more than 100 Colorado CEOs, believes economic progress is rooted in quality education and a robust environment for private-sector job creation. And as business people, we embrace a bottom-line focus on what works — in tax policy, regulation, literacy, early childhood education and much more. We are ready to work with policymakers across the ideological spectrum who offer practical solutions.

The reality is this: The challenges that were discussed and debated in the campaign cycle remain the challenges we must address throughout the coming legislative session. Elections clarify much, but repair nothing.

In my business, I utilitize an approach that can yield a much-needed focus on job creation.

I build homes. There are many options for every home we build, and those options are always up for discussion. The buyer and builder work hard to get consensus and we move forward. But there are also fundamentals that aren't negotiable: a solid foundation, walls and a roof that provide reliable shelter.

If, on the other hand, we insisted on only one way to build homes, the gridlock would put us out of business quickly.

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This is a recipe that we hope our elected leaders will embrace this year. It certainly one that Gov. Hickenlooper has embraced in his first two years in office.

On principle, it is clear that we must redouble our commitment to bipartisan, accountable and aggressive education reform. As Gallup chairman and CEO Jim Clifton has written, America's education system is the most important weapon in winning what he calls a global "jobs war." Unless our education system produces young people who not only are quality employees but can be top-notch employers and entrepreneurs as well, new high-quality jobs will be created far from Colorado.

Clifton points out that America needs 2 million startup companies annually to keep the economy pumping, but today we are at 20 percent of that. The consequences, he states, are brain drain, economic stagnation and potentially political instability — because the No. 1 desire of men and women around the world is to have a quality job. He is exactly right.

This should be the ruler to measure legislation in 2013.

The same focus on private-sector jobs is needed in Washington, D.C. In recent discussions with Sen. Mark Udall and Sen. Michael Bennet, it was heartening to hear their truly common-sense Colorado approach to healing the ideological rift in fiscal policy. Driving the nation to a "fiscal cliff" is no way to craft smart, meaningful, substantive reforms to our debt and deficit.

We are ready to back our bipartisan congressional delegation in searching for a consensus that will rein in spending, reform entitlements, and establish predictable, pro-growth tax policy.

This is the only route to unleashing entrepreneurship and sustainable private-sector job creation.

Real common-sense solutions are in front of us. Let's engage in conversations animated by an aggressive focus on making Colorado a magnet for entrepreneurs. We are determined to be a real catalyst for reform in education and economic policy that truly sparks job creation.

Let's get to work.

Pat Hamill is founder, chairman and CEO of Oakwood Homes Inc., and serves as chairman of Colorado Concern.

Not all kids who play baseball are uniformed with fancy script across their chests, traveling to $1,000 instructional camps and drilled how to properly hit the cut-off man. Some kids just play to play.